ExtraChristy

Jeremiah 29:4-7 and
Matthew 8:18-22

Multiplying God's love instead of expanding our organization.

[html]<table cellpadding=2 width=”100%”><tr><td><center>
<a href=”http://www.ghpcakron.org” target=”_blank”><img src=”../../images/churchblimps.jpg”></a></center></td><td width=150><a href=”../../audio/201005090900_Expansion_vs_Multiplication.mp3” target=”_blank”><img src=”../../images/PodcastMessage.png”></a><br><br></td></tr>
</table>
<br><br>

Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Deed

Blessings Don't Make Sense Computer errors are frustrating. A classic one is when you don't have a keyboard connected when a computer starts. One line on the screen points out that the keyboard is missing, and the next line on the display instructs you to press a key! The spiritual path is full of such contradictions. In the Zen Buddhism tradition a kōan is statement that cannot be understood rationally, but can be a path to faithful reflection. "Press the F1 key when you are missing a keyboard." might be an update of the classic kōan: "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" A popular list of contradictions among the followers of Jesus is the beatitudes , ( "Blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping..." ). While often read as "Blessed", The Jerusalem Bible and others understand this word as "Happy". This leads to contradictions such as "Happy are those that mourn..." among others. (These lists are found in Matthew 5:1-10 and Luke 6:20-23 ) Like our computer kōan, these do not make sense, but can make faith.

by fazen on Flickr

I include my favorite “key” Bible passage below. (If you have some others let me know!)

I hope the next time you are frustrated by something that is just not rational, you'll pause to hear the sound of one hand clapping. It might be the key to God's blessing and happiness.

Press Faith to Resume

We prove we are God's servants by our purity, knowledge, patience and kindness; by a spirit of holiness, by a love free from affectation; ….prepared for honor or disgrace, for blame or praise; taken for imposters while we are genuine; obscure yet famous; said to be dying and here we are alive; rumored to be executed before we are sentenced; thought most miserable and yet we are always rejoicing; taken for paupers though we make others rich; for people having nothing though we have everything.- 2 Corinthians 6 (Jerursalem Bible)

This work by J. Christy Ramsey is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Deed